Tarnished Halo
by laurzz
Summary: NathanHaley. An episode oneshot for 7x04 'Believe me, I'm lying.' "The only problem was – she didn’t know how much more she could handle. If she could handle anything at all."


**A/N: Hi all. I'm very new to writing Naley so you'll have to bear with me. I'm more of a DannyLindsay from CSI:NY writer, so it's been a little nerve wracking branching out into OTH world, but with the recent episodes, the lack of Naley scenes were driving me crazy, so this little oneshot was created. **

**There are NO spoilers for those who are spoiler free; and the story is based around 7x04 – 'Believe me, I'm lying.' **

**I have to mention and thank Megan and Diane for their vote of confidence and encouragement to post this! And especially Megan, as without her demands for a NH story from me and encouragement, this would have not been written. So thank you girls! **

**I hope you all enjoy. **

* * *

Smoothing down the material of her sunny yellow dress as she set her glass of wine on the bar, Haley sighed heavily – an apparent new past time of hers. Every time she remembered what was going in her life, a sigh was released – a heavy, laboured and generally sad sigh.

She leant against the bar, ignoring Chase talking to Clay about something to do with Brains – she wasn't even going to ask – and began to watch everyone in her surroundings. She needed a change of scenery from her table where she had been sat by herself for longer than she wished to remember. She told herself, as she scanned the patrons of TRIC she was looking no one in particular, but deep down, she knew that was a lie. She _was_ looking for someone.

She just prayed she didn't have the audacity to actually show up.

She caught Brooke's eyes across the room, and smiled widely – expressing how happy she was for her friend and how she was proud of how far she'd come. Haley was glad that Brooke was benefitting from some good turns as of late. 'Cause her own luck as of late, sucked if she was completely honest.

She felt two strong arms wrap themselves around her waist and she turned in the embrace. "Hey you,"

"You look beautiful, Hales."

She plastered a fake smile across her face and kissed his cheek, "You look pretty good yourself,"

He squeezed her lightly as an act of affection and leant his forehead against hers and let out a sigh. "How're you doin'?"

She laughed softly. It wasn't a heckle by any means, but inside of her – her reaction to his question; it sure felt like she was laughing in disgust of the mere thought of him asking her that.

"I'm managing as best as I can," She shrugged. "Have the press got you yet?"

He shook his head slowly as he tentatively placed his hands on her waist. "But I'm expecting it won't be long now that the show's finished and Brooke's been interviewed."

"You gonna say what you thought of earlier?"

"Damn right I am," Nathan growled. "This is Brooke's night; I'm not letting this slut get in the way of something else in our lives."

"Nathan..." Haley sighed.

"No Hales, I mean it; I'm sick of this drama. I wish things would just go away. I shouldn't have to explain to my son that the only brother or sister he's gonna get is from you and I. And you definitely shouldn't have to explain to our seven year old what a lovechild is. It makes me sick that I've put you guys through this... again."

"Nathan," Haley sighed once again, "I don't know how many times you want me to tell you that I believe you and I'm not mad with you. I don't blame you – I know she's lying, okay. I know that – you don't have to keep assuring me; and yourself that this isn't true."

"I just don't want you to..." He sighed and ran his fingers through his wavy hair. "I just feel like sometimes I bring more harm to our relationship than good. It's always you pulling me out of situations that I've gone and got us into."

"So what?" She whispered. "It doesn't matter."

"It does matter though, Hales. It does matter because it affects you and Jamie."

"What's Naley without some form of drama?" Haley teased lightly. "Just forget about it okay, it's all we've done for the past what, three weeks now? Let's just let it go for tonight, okay? Enjoy the night."

Nathan wrapped his arms tightly around his wife and pressed a kiss to her temple. "Only cause you asked so nicely." He teased softly. "I love you, you know that right?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I do. And I love you too," she replied as she cupped his cheeks with her small hands and gently rubbed his rough skin with her thumb.

"Who were you looking for earlier?" He asked as he pressed a kiss to her forehead, his arms still wrapped around her waist, holding her close and tight.

"You..." she spluttered. "No one really. I was just people watching. Trying to find where Quinn was..."

Nathan cleared his throat and let go of the hold he had on Haley and turned her slightly, "You mean that Quinn, stood a foot from you?"

Haley inwardly cursed herself. "Oh, you found her," she exclaimed lamely, trying to sound joyful.

"Hales, you suck at lying." Nathan deadpanned.

She sighed as she took a seat at the bar, and faced Nathan as he positioned himself in front of her, so that he towered over her. "I just keep expecting for her to pop up, you know? Like she's in every other aspect of my life, why not actually physically be in my life?"

Nathan let out a frustrated growl as he drew his fingers through his hair. "The sooner this is over, the better."

"Look, I was the one that said we should just forget about it, so..."

"No," Nathan huffed. "My wife shouldn't have to be scooping the crowd out to see whether that slut is here. My son shouldn't be getting taunted on the playground about rumours that have no truth to them."

"You know that, and I know that, but that doesn't matter to her, Nathan. All she's in this for is..."

"Money," Nathan spat. "Well she isn't getting any. Not off of us she isn't. She picked the wrong family, Hales."

"Just let her do her thing, Nathan – when she's proven to be a liar, all of this will disappear overnight and they'll move onto the next made up scandal. It's what happens. We knew this and we had prepared ourselves for this when you got to the NBA."

"This wasn't part of the dream though, you know? It was You, Jamie and me. That's it. No crazy nannies. No sluts from parties I don't even recall going to. It just..." He let out a frustrated groan. "It sucks, you know?"

"I know," she whispered.

"And through all of this, I feel like we've barely spoken. I mean; we're united in this but divided at the same time, we're so busy doing different things, there's just no time for us to sit and talk."

"You know Tree Hill, it's like a mini soap opera," Haley smiled. "So many stories to tell, so little time to get them all in."

Nathan smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I like these bangs," he informed her. "Quite the different look from this afternoon."

She smiled, "I decided to go for a change."

"Oh yeah," he smirked, "What might that be?"

"A –I'm not taking no crap- change." Haley told him, before giggling. "I thought starting with my hair and working from there would somehow work."

"And has it?" Nathan asked, highly amused.

"It remains to be seen. Ask me after I've seen the slut and I'll let you know."

Nathan kissed her cheek and let go of the hold he had on her, "Hales, I'm gonna head home. Relieve the babysitter and tuck Jamie in, you wanna head home with me, or do you want to stick around a little while?"

Haley glanced around the room. Here she could mingle, laugh and forget about her troubles at home. If she went home with her husband, she'd be faced with dealing with those troubles. Those problems. That heartbreak.

She smiled softly and shook her head, "I think I'm going to stick around for a little while. Quinn's really upset about David, so I might... well; make sure I'm here for her."

"You sure?" Nathan asked, looking at his wife, "Want me to leave you the car?"

"Would you mind?" She smiled, "I think I'd like the drive home if I'm honest."

"Alright," Nathan sighed, "If you want me to come get you, don't hesitate to call me, k? If anything happens..."

"I know," she smiled. "I will. Give Jamie a kiss for me, alright?"

"I will," he said as he gave her a soft and gentle kiss. "I love you, Haley James Scott."

"I'll see you back at home," she smiled. "Try not to run into any reporters on your way out,"

"Ha, I'll bet you a Benjamin someone grabs me on the way out."

She giggled as he turned on his heel and headed off towards the exit. She took a deep breath, plastered a fake, happy smile on her face and went to mingle with the other guests of Brooke's fashion show.

What she needed was a night to pretend to be someone else.

Just to forget.

If not only for an hour.

* * *

Grabbing her keys out of her purse, Haley stepped out of TRIC and headed to her parked car, sat in the lot. She glanced up, and instantly, the smile that had been put there on her face by her closest friends was swiftly washed away when she saw that person she'd been looking for all night, but hoping and praying she'd not surface.

"What are you doing here?"

"He doesn't love you,"

Haley chuckled in utter disbelief at the woman stood in front of her. "Honey, you don't know what you're talking about."

"He told me, while we were making love."

Haley fought back the overwhelming urge to shove this woman... slut... delete as appropriate, she figured, back under the rock she'd crawled from. Humour and disbelief were the only things racing through her mind. She had to be kidding, right?

The smirk pasted across this girl's face riled Haley. She felt anger bubbling in the pit of her stomach; and she knew what this anger usually boiled down to. A good, old fashioned bitch slap across the face.

And if this bitch wasn't gonna move, she'd end up on the floor.

And fast.

"Get the hell out of my way, slut," Haley growled as a verbal warning.

"Maybe I am a slut, but that's what Nathan liked about me."

_Is she hearing herself?_ The inner voice in Haley James Scott cried. _Did she willingly just admit she's a slut? _

"He had me do all kind of things to him that he said you'd never do."

In the time it'd taken Renee to finish the horrific sentence she'd just growled at Haley, something deep inside of Haley snapped. White fused over her eyes for a split second as she cracked the woman across the cheek, knocking her to the ground.

However, what Haley thought was white fusing over her eyes were really flashes from a camera.

"You'll pay for that, bitch."

Instantly, Haley wanted to cry out about the apparent child growing inside of this woman – she showed no concern for her unborn baby with the man that apparently loved her. Just that Haley was going to pay.

Something wasn't right.

Not wasting another moment, Haley climbed into the SUV and instantly locked the doors. She took a deep breath as she felt the flashes going off all around her, cameras pressed to the slightly tinted windows. She thrust the key into the ignition and pressed her foot to the pedal as she desperately reversed out of the parking space and headed off away from the commotion.

With shaking hands, she reached for her Bluetooth headset and adjusted it to her ear before holding down speed dial one, connecting her cell with Nathan's.

"Hales? Everything alright?" He answered the phone after a few rings, a little apprehension in his voice.

"Remember how I said I wasn't taking any crap and to get back to you after I'd seen the slut...

"She wasn't there was she?" Nathan growled down the phone as he sat on the couch back at their home, "I knew I shouldn't have left you to release the baby sitter. Are you alright? What happened?"

"Well, apparently I'm not taking any crap... I slapped her."

Nathan fell silent.

"Nathan? A little input here, if you will, I'm freaking out here!"

"That's my girl," he whispered down the line.

"No Nathan!" Haley cried. "There were a few photographers from the tabloids around."

"Define a few," Nathan asked tentatively as he scooted to the edge of his seat when the words reporters and tabloids were finally heard in his head.

"About thirty," Haley sniffed. "Nathan, tomorrow... Jamie... We're... I'm going to be..."

"It's alright," he whispered. "It's okay Hales, alright? Don't worry, we'll get through it. Where are you?"

"Driving home, I got into the car and shoved my Bluetooth thing in before they could follow me."

"Okay, I'll call Clay, get him over here."

"NO!" Haley cried. "He's caused enough of this," she spluttered. "I know you love him, and I love him too with all that he's done for you, but his irresponsibility has left us in this situation, Nathan. Please, no Clay – not tonight, okay?"

"I gotta tell him Hales, before he sees it on some newspaper. He needs to know so that he can have an answer other than no comment."

"For once, will you just think about me, Nathan? You haven't asked me what happened or anything!"

"Hales, I'm sorry, where are you? Do you need me to come get you?"

"No," she whispered. "Yes... I don't know."

"Just take it easy, come home and we'll sort this out, alright? It'll be okay, baby, I promise."

"I hope you're right," she whispered. "I'll be home soon."

"Drive safe, Hales. I love you."

Tears burned Haley's eyes as she took in his words of sincerity. He wouldn't lie to her... Would he?

"Hales? You there?"

"Sorry... yeah..." She whispered. "I love you too, Nathan."

"Drive safe, k?"

She disconnected the call and let a tear slip down her cheek. Desperately, she tried to push the insecurities out of her mind.

But the more she tried, the more grounded they became.

She believed her husband, she knew that – but, when you read something, heard something and were told things over and over again. A part of you, even a small part of you begins to question – and believe.

And she was now at that stage.

Things were going to get worse before they got better.

The only problem was – she didn't know how much more she could handle.

If she could handle anything at all.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, comments and reviews are appreciated :)**


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